Always the Hero
by SapphireEyes06
Summary: ONESHOT FOR BLONDIEE LEAH'S COMPETITION :D an alternate ending to the film; what would have happened if Rose hadn't have jumped off the lifeboat?


**This is my oneshot for Blondiee Leah's competition! Hope you like it :D (I wanted to stay on the 'Titanic' theme and actually write something that **_**is **_**vaguely like the film :p)**

**Rose POV**

If a heart could pierce through skin, that's what mine would have been doing right then. The chaos everywhere made me want to scream! Usually all the chaos is silent, and in my head. I had never been in this type of situation before…and hopefully I will never have to see all of this ever again.

The lifeboats were being filled up with women and children…but no men. No men whatsoever, apparently. Although, to my disgust I saw some first class men getting into the very first lifeboat that got lowered. Only because of their high status and wealth. The truly caring ones, like Jack had to wait. Wait for their place on a lifeboat, that would never come. They would fall into the icy Atlantic waters, and either drown or freeze to death. And Jack would be one of them. When it is his turn though…I want to be with him.

'I'm not going without you.' I told Jack.

'No, Rose. You have to!' Came my stubborn reply.

'No, Jack! Not without you.'

Jack is the only person that has _ever _treated me like a normal human being. Well, apart from my dad. When he was around I was his precious angel, and he spoiled me. Not in a bad way, though. He didn't want me to be a little brat. My mother did though. She still does. Mother and Cal say we're royalty, and that we can have anything we like. I think you are only 'royalty' if you act like a true prince or a princess, though. Like Jack. He is a proper gentleman. And no, not because of high class or wealth, or valuable belongings, but because of his genuine intentions and natural love for life. He loves life so much…and it may get torn away from him tonight. So, if or when it does I want to be right there with him.

'This is ridiculous, get in the boat Rose.' Jack was now insisting.

'I told you, not without you!' Surely he can notice the desperation in me.

'Yes Rose, get in the boat.' I heard that awful low voice that makes me want to crinkle up and die when I hear. 'Gosh, look at you! You look a fright!' Cal started to take the blanket that Jack had draped over me and put his own coat around me. I didn't allow it. I guess one benefit of being first class was that I knew how to get what I wanted. I pushed him away.

'I don't want to see you.' I bitterly spat at him.

'Rose, listen to me,' Cal started, only he was interrupted by a frustrated Jack.

'No! You listen to her; she said she doesn't want to see you, so get outt'a here.' Jack turned around to face me, after pulling me away from the man that I loathed. 'Go on, I'll get the next one.'

'You promise?' I started to cry.

'I promise that I'll do my very best to save myself, and that I'll come looking for you _when _I do survive.' Jack replied, trying to comfort me. 'Now come on, I don't want to see you like this! I'll see you soon.'

'Come on, Miss!' The urgent voice rang behind me, and scooped me up, putting me in the lifeboat that I didn't want to be in. I grabbed Jack's hand one last time, but then had to let it go again.

I was being lowered. It happened so slowly, and everything and everyone was in slow motion. Having just been comforting me, Jack's face now fell in a look of heartache and loss. Every inch I got away from him felt like a mile. No. I couldn't do this. I had to be with him.

I don't know what possessed me, but I went to jump. Like an animal I sprung from my place in the boat…intending to land back onto Titanic. Only, I didn't quite make it. I nearly fell into the ocean below us; a woman grabbed me and pulled me back onto the lifeboat, a look of horror on her face.

'Rose! What are you doing?' Jack shrieked from above us. I was uncontrollably crying at my failed attempt to be back with him. It seems everything wants to keep us apart!

'Jack you _have _to save yourself!' I cried out.

'I will, I promise Rose!' Jack was crying as well. I'd never seen him cry before. Then again, I'd only known him for about two or three days… 'Just wait for me, Rose! Wait for me!'

'I will! I promise!' That was the last thing I said to him before the ship went down.

In our lifeboat everyone else seemed to be caught up in their own little conversations. Two women behind me were even gossiping. 'Well,' I thought, 'If you pay attention to the sinking ship in front of us…that'll give you some good gossip for tomorrow!'

My eyes however, didn't leave the ship. Only when another lifeboat was lowered and I wanted to see who was on it I looked away, holding onto some hope that Jack could be in one of them. He never was, though.

My gaze would return to the most magnificent ship in the world. The most magnificent ship with what will probably be the most extraordinary sinking story. 'Unsinkable ship, my ass.' I heard some mutters occasionally. Yes, never mind the people on it and how they're going to survive, if they even do.

An hour or so must have passed. The ship was beginning to tilt vertically. 'Oh, Jack. Please be okay.' I keep thinking to myself. Then it happened. No one would have expected it, and it came as quite a shock to say the least. The ship split in two. Right down to the keel, apparently. I internally screamed. Externally however, I don't think my expression changed at all.

Eventually the ship went down. After it split the back end sunk down vertically. I hoped and hoped that Jack was one of the last to get off the ship. As soon as I saw people hopelessly falling into the sea, I wanted to go back. Not just because Jack could be one of them, but because my natural human instinct wanted to save people. It seemed not everyone had the same natural instinct as I did, though.

'If we go back they'll all swamp the boats. We'll go straight down, I'm telling you!' The cold hearted officer was very sure of his mind.

'No they won't! You want to know why? Because half of them will be dead anyway by the time we get to them even if we set out now! Hypothermia can kill you in minutes.' I'd have never spoken like this to _anyone_ a couple of days ago. Then again, I hadn't met the person who showed me what's important in life, and what certainly isn't.

'And there will be one more dead person in the water, if you don't shut that hole in your face!' The officer snarled at me. I just glared at him. Oh, if looks could kill.

'Right…okay then.' I said extremely quietly, before jumping off the boat and into the water. I didn't really know what I was doing, I just needed to get away from that boat. The water was absolutely freezing, and yes it did stab me like a thousand knives all over my body, you were tight Jack. Only a little way away from ours, there was a group of other lifeboats who had all tied themselves together. Someone saw me and ordered I get into their boat.

'No! I need to find someone, and they're over there!' I yelled in amongst my sobs.

'Miss, I'm going back for them now, you can come with me.' I recognised who it was now. It was the kind Officer Lowe. He obviously heard the desperation in my voice, and took pity on me. Just as well that he did, though.

'Right you lot! We have to go back!' Lowe shouted above everyone. He shortly arranged an empty boat for us to go back in. I clung to the side like an excited child, not wanting to miss a thing. Only, in this situation I wasn't excited. Not at all. I was frightened if anything. But one thing for sure, I didn't want to miss anything. I needed to find my Jack.

'Is there anyone alive out there?' Lowe's voice echoed over the calm sea. 'Can anyone hear me?' I had to join in as well.

'Jack?' I screamed out. 'JACK?'

It was no hope. No one replied. Everytime we found someone I prayed it would be Jack. But it wasn't. I was getting more and more desperate by the minute. I had just about given up any hope; he would have called out by now, but then we heard the piercing sound of a whistle behind us. My head shot up from my hands in urgency. The torch lit up the face of the person blowing the whistle. It was Jack!

'Jack!' I screamed out. 'Row faster!' I ordered to men with the oars.

I reached out and grabbed Jack's hands. I thought my hands we cold! His were like ice cubes! A few of us yanked him up onto the lifeboat, where he would stay now. A blanket was thrown over him, much to his appreciation…probably. He was showing no expressions or anything…he was just too cold.

'Jack! You're alive!' I hugged him tightly. I'd never known anyone shake so much. He let out a smile and tried to return the hug.

By the early hours of the morning I was under his blanket too, hugging him whilst we slept. I woke up before him, and for a split second fear spread across me; hoping that he _was _still alive. I'd never seen him sleeping before…he looked so peaceful. And I knew he was alive, because he was breathing very heavily and occasionally let out a snore. When he did I couldn't help but laugh; I was so unbelievably relieved that he'd survived…I thought I'd lost him.

His lips weren't blue anymore…but were more of a grey-ish lilac colour. The ice in his hair had melted, and was now was just wet. This must have made him even colder, so with the blanket I started to try and dry off his hair a bit. This was when I discovered what a heavy sleeper he was.

Eventually the Carpathia came to our rescue; only then did Jack wake up to all the shouting and attempts to attract the ship's attention.

'Jack…are you feeling any better?' I whispered to him.

'I am now.' He smiled. 'I told you I'd survive. You've gott'a learn to trust me, Rose.'

'I know…but at first when you didn't respond I thought I'd lost you.'

'Getting off that door took a while…' Jack joked.

'Ah you found something to float on?' I asked, impressed.

'Yeah, I was really, really lucky. I found a door to lie on.' Jack sounded proud of himself. 'But actually Rose…it's a good thing you weren't there as well to be honest, because only one person could fit on the door, whilst the other one would have had to freeze to death.' My heart nearly came up and out of my throat. It's a good thing I was pulled back onto the lifeboat then…because if I hadn't have been, one of us would have died. Knowing Jack, he would have insisted I stayed on the door whilst he froze to his death, and I'd have had to live on without him.

Hours later on the Carpathia, all the Titanic survivors were given soup and bread. I sat with Jack of course, and enjoyed the warmth of the soup. I have nothing to complain about compared to Jack, but I think we can both safely say that last night we wondered if we would ever meet warmth again.

Before being separated into classes (again) on the Carpathia, one officer recognised me and tried to take me back to first class.

'No!' I shouted at the man as he had hold of my arm.

'But Miss, I'm almost certain you will have very worried family members up here, you must see them.' The all-too polite response was given to me.

'NO!' I shoved the man off me and angrily turned on my heels. Jack laughed a similar laugh to the one last night after I raised my middle finger at Lovejoy. I never thought I'd hear that sweet little giggle again. Jack put his arm around me protectively and led me off to steerage with him.

That encounter made me worry about Cal and my mother though. What if they tried to find me, and forced me away from Jack? Jack said though that if anyone came near me, or tried to separate us then they'd have to get through him first.

Sure enough, mid-morning Cal came searching for me. Thankfully I had Jack's blanket over my head so that I wasn't recognisable. Or so I thought; Cal recognised the back of Jack's head…so presumed that was me sat beside him.

Cal fired up behind us and grabbed the blanket that was covering me, pulling it off. He gasped when he knew for certain that it was me sat next to Jack.

'What? How?' Cal stammered. Jack put his arm around me and held me tightly. 'Why Rose, why?'

'I don't need to answer that, Cal. Get out of my sight before I do something that I'll regret.'

'Oh and what would that be? You're too weak and hopeless as it is, I doubt you could ever hurt a fully grown man! Remember what I'm capable of, Rose.' Cal growled at me. I took a deep breath and decided not to respond directly to this.

'Cal, the engagement is off. And I want nothing more to do with you.' I replied, perfectly civilly. He didn't take it so well though, and grabbed me by the shoulders, starting to shake me.

'YOU GET OFF HER!' Jack screamed at Cal, shoving him off me.

'Oh look who it is…the little gutter rat. Come out for a play have we?' Cal sniggered at poor Jack.

'I'm not going to ask you again to get the hell out of here. How dare you claim to love her and then speak to and treat her like that.' Jack never falters in what he says.

Once again, Cal didn't take this so well either. He started to attack Jack, kicking him and going to punch him. Without fighting back, Jack defended himself. I stood up in horror and rushed to the side of them. I don't know what happened after that. I felt a hard slam in my face, and then I fell to the ground. I could still hear though, besides the rest of me appearing to be unconscious.

'Look what you've done!' Jack shrieked. I didn't hear anything from Cal but footsteps. I presume they were his…running away from his actions, like he always did. 'Rose. Rose answer me? I'm so sorry! I said I'd protect you…please be okay.' Jack sobbed.

Then I managed to open my eyes. The first thing I saw was Jack's beautiful face, crying and leaning over me.

'Rose you're okay!' Jack breathed a sigh of relief and scooped me up in his arms.

'Yeah I'm fine…' I croaked. My face felt swollen and was tingling. I could feel blood running from down my nose. 'W-what happened?'

'Cal hit you, Rose. You should have stayed sat down. I could have taken it.'

'You've been through enough, though.' I insisted. 'Where is he now?'

'He ran off. Lousy little bastard can't face up to his actions.'

'Jack I never want to see him again.'

'You won't have to, I have you now. You'll be okay.' Jack said lovingly, his arms still around me…probably scared to let me go.

'Never let go Jack, never let go.' I pleaded him.

'I'll never let go, I promise.' Jack promised me, and kissed my hand just like the prince I knew he was. And I'm his princess.

**It's so long, sorry! :D I tried to replace Molly Brown with Rose earlier on, and I wanted to incorporate the 'never let go' ;) Hope you like it Blondiee Leah **


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